By now you’re well aware that 47 U.S. Senators mailed off an open letter to Iran’s leadership stating that any deal reached between them and the president of the United States is non-binding and subject to be nullified by a future Commander-in-Chief. And yet Democrats have done their darnedest to convince the public that Republicans broke the law and that such acts are unprecedented. (Dubious on the first count and wrong on the latter). Nevertheless, the public isn’t necessarily endorsing the maneuver, either:
For his part, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) – who in many ways is responsible for issuing the letter in the first place – responded to critics on the The Kelly File earlier this week:
Kelly was certainly skeptical that the letter will make any meaningful difference in preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons. (Hence why she chided him at the end of the clip). She also questioned the wisdom of alienating the Obama administration – and congressional Democrats – by publicly breaking ranks with them in such a provocative manner. Cotton, however, defended himself on air as well as in the pages of USA Today, arguing that the purported deal is “a bad one” that must be thwarted at all costs:
Regrettably, it appears the deal President Obama is negotiating with Iran will not be a good one. In fact, if reports are correct, it will be a bad one that will ultimately allow Iran to continue its nuclear program and ultimately develop a nuclear weapon.That is why this week, I, along with 46 of my fellow senators, wrote Iranian leaders to inform them of the role Congress plays in approving their agreement. Our goal is simple: to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
I do not take my obligations as a senator lightly. Nor do those who are signatories to the letter. If the president won't share our role in the process with his negotiating partner, we won't hesitate to do it ourselves.
Our constituents elected us to the Senate, in part, to protect them from bad agreements like this and to help ensure their safety and security. And that is what we intend to do.
In other words, Cotton argues he did not have much of a choice. He had an obligation to the people of his state and to the country to raise awareness about the impending agreement. Sending this letter was the best way to do that.
Not all Republicans, however, apparently agree.
Editor's note: This post has been updated.
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